Cambodia - Thursday 27th September 2012

So what do you call a man with a shovel on his head? Doug. So what do you call a man without a shovel on his head? Douglas. Why did the boy fall off his bike? Because he was hit by a fridge. What did the farmer do when he saw his cow on the roof? He said 'Bruce, come down.' What do you call a blind dinosaur? Do you think he saw us. Umm I don't get the cow one and the fridge one is a bit unclear but I am sharing these with you to indicate that we are back together as a team and Peter is in fine form!
Sadly this morning though we bid farewell to Alyson and Tilly as they returned to Australia. Thank you so much both for agreeing to come and to minister to the women and to the children and to the team here. God bless you.

This morning we left early and headed north. The trip to Pursat is about four hours. The road is quite good, totally different to the road I travelled the first time I came this way. This was my third visit to Pursat Prison. We have been so privileged along with the AFCI team to come to this prison and God is good all the time and the Lord has been so gracious and two-thirds of this prison community is now believing in Jesus. Praise the Lord! It would normally take three months or more to receive approval to visit the prison but God has given us favour because we are His favoured children and so we come and share Him with the prisoners.
We step in through the gates of the prison and find a church where all the congregation is in blue and are lined in regiments of men and some women. Yes we are world's apart in background, colour, culture, circumstance, experience, need, etc. etc. but if you cut us we both would bleed red and as we faced one another we could afirm to them that we are brothers, and sisters, in Christ. I shared a vision with them that I received from the Lord years ago. I have shared this with you before.

We are together in glory in the presence of our Lord and Saviour. I always think of that song that we sometimes hear...I can't remember who sings it but you will know...'I can only imagine what it will be when Your face is before me'...So we are together and the voice of our Lord is ringing in our ears declaring "Well done, good and faithful servants!" The Lord affims you all...those that give, those that pray, those that provide, those that connect, those that work, it is no different...there will not be a different class for the ones who go and the ones who provide for those who go. We are all together. As I looked around me I see that we are surrounded by millions of Cambodian people. The Lord says that these are our inheritance...these are your inheritance.
 

So I share this vision with our brothers and sisters in the prison and then encourage them with a word from the Lord. They are seated at the King's table...no matter where they are or the hard place they experience they are seated with Him and He will bring His grace and His blessing.

You know along our journey there are many blessings...but we don't receive them. Why? We don't see them. We don't see a God who just wants to shower His blessings upon us. Some see a God who expects a lot of work to be done; some see a God who is frowning; some see a God who is distant and requires us to draw near so He will draw near. This is a wrong interpretation. He is always near. We need to open our eyes and see who He really is.
Listen..."The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want..." This is just one verse, the Bible is full of them, that tells of His love and grace toward us. It DOES NOT say that the Lord is my Shepherd if I work hard, keep the law, draw near constantly by confessing my sins...he has forgotten our sin and we are free. Free to sin? No! Free to enjoy this universe which He took back from the enemy. Adam gave it to satan, Jesus took it back. Did He do that for Himself? No! He did that for us.

So we are now in Battambang.

Tomorrow two opportunities to share the gift of Jesus. How blessed am I?